Aaron N. Tubbs

I think there’s something relativistic about okcupid. I’ve stayed up three nights in a row answering questions, only to discover that far more time has passed than should have. Again, it’s at least cheap entertainment.

I’m noticing a disturbing trend, though. I don’t think it’s apathy, but I’m skipping more and more questions which demand a strong opinion, and I don’t have one. More interestingly, I’m finding more than half of the questions have answers from the other side that are irrelevant to me. I don’t really care exactly how somebody would behave in certain contrived situations. 1) The situation is contrived. 2) Nobody really knows how they’ll act.

There are several questions whose answers are pretty important to me. For example:

“Is contraception morally wrong?”

“Do you bring up the topic of STD test results/risk factors before you have contact with a partner’s body fluids?”

“Do you think it is possible for someone to be an Atheist and still have a strong moral framework by which to live?”

“Do you believe regular sex is necessary in maintaining a healthy relationship?”

My answer matters to me (I won’t skip this one), and I’d really like somebody else to answer one of the ways I select. Often, though, this isn’t as drastic as it sounds. Usually it’s more a matter of “you have to pick one of these three” because it’s mandatory to me that somebody wouldn’t pick “No, atheists are corrupt and evil, and cannot live correctly.” Beyond that, if they go “I don’t know” or “Yes” or whatever, that’s fine. I just don’t want a hater.

But then there are questions like:

“Does smoking disgust you?”

“Would you date someone who followed a pagan religion?”

“A bird has built a nest on your house or garage. Do you knock it down?”

I’m happy to answer these questions, but what do I care if somebody on the other side is or isn’t disgusted by smoking? I don’t smoke. Their opinion really doesn’t matter to me.

So there are an absurd proportion of questions that are “a little important” or “irrelevant” in terms of reflexive importance.

And then, again, there’s a metric ass-ton of questions that I just skip, because they don’t make any sense. Or something. I blather on.